Colorado State offense lacks pace in second scrimmage

Quarterback picture no clearer

By Mike Brohard Sports Editor

Posted:
08/20/2013 08:15:51 PM MDT

FORT COLLINS -- Jim McElwain didn't speak with the same fire as he did the week prior.

Tuesday's scrimmage at Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium lacked the pace and fire he would have preferred on the offensive side. There were some "poor me's" from the younger set, McElwain said, and a definite look of practice No. 17 with some wear and tear, mentally and physically.

Maybe it had something to do with Charles Lovett going down with a leg injury the first series. McElwain said he won't panic about it, that Lovett told him he was fine, but the junior does bring some fire to the unit.

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He wasn't sure what it was, but what it wasn't was what he hoped to see. Still, he said he wasn't upset, either.

"I am disappointed with the pace at which we played," McElwain said. "I'm not happy with that at all."

Because of that pace, the Rams got in about 111 plays, not including the special teams work. But he did feel the team hit the situations desired, took some steps toward answering roster questions and found some things to work on this week.

Kevin Pierre-Louis
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Quarterback play is still one of them. McElwain agreed he would have liked to have seen someone take the position by now, but no one has shown him what he wants to see. He said it's partially because they're playing well, and partially because he's still looking for the complete package.

"What we're looking for is for someone to go 23-of-26 and those three were throwaways to not take a sack and know exactly where it's got to be, get everybody in the protection right, and I'm not going to tell you we're seeing that yet," McElwain said. "That's where we've got to get. They've got to let the people around them make plays and distribute the ball."

Statistically, Conner Smith had the best day, hitting nine of his 13 attempts for 78 yards. Garrett Grayson was just 5-of-14 passing for 76 yards, and true freshman Nick Stevens took a step back, at just 6-of-17 for 46 yards. Grayson, Craig Leonard and Stevens all threw touchdown passes, with Leonard throwing the only interception, one returned 26 yards for a touchdown by true freshman Jake Schlager, who saw additional time with Trent Matthews sitting out.

What it's left McElwain with is considering something that's never considered to be a good sign for a football team.

"Right now we need to sit down and settle in to who's going to take the reps, and shoot, we may play three of them in the first game," McElwain said. "I understand the world of gotta know a quarterback, and I've been a quarterback my whole life and coached it the whole life. We're going to do what's best for this team.

"They all do some good things. Shoot, they might all three play in the first game, and actually probably four because of our stuff we do with the wildcat. So get ready to put four people in the quarterback category."

Defensively, McElwain liked the play of Kevin Pierre-Louis, who he felt played well on third down especially and has improved his leadership and communication skills with Matthews out. Also, the coach is liking the play of Shaq Bell and Jasen Oden in the nickel and dime packages, schemes the Rams will be forced to use with the spread offense so in vogue.

It was a day to help clear up some roster answers, and McElwain feels some were supplied, though the tape will really tell.

"I think we got some clarity," he said. "Now we'll see when we break it down. We'll sit down and watch offense and defense, then we'll watch it as a staff, and then we'll watch it as a staff again. I think some things will be determined from there. It's hard for me to see exactly up front where some of the guys were, and maybe the position of some of the linebackers, so this will clear it up for us."

Receiver Austin Gray (shoulder) was still held out, but McElwain said he'll be good to go the rest of the week. LaRyan King didn't play, nor did Austin Berk on the defensive line, or Mason Myers on the offensive front. However, defensive linemen Calvin Tonga and Terry Jackson were back, as was Eli Edwards. Edwards, whose wife Luisa gave birth to a baby girl Monday night, was given the option of sitting it out.

The Rams produced four offensive touchdowns on the afternoon, with Jordon Vaden collecting a 25-yard pass from Grayson; Chris Robinson was on the receiving end of a 47-yard pass from Leonard; and Jake Levin caught a 3-yard score from Stevens. The lone rushing score was a 1-yard run by Chris Nwoke.